ExxonMobil is bringing in an update to Red Bull to improve its performance on the circuit. The updates are scheduled to go for the Singapore GP.
Red Bull could not catch up to Mercedes and Ferrari in race pace so far this season. They are holding Renault responsible for the reliability and power issues the team has faced since the beginning of 2017.
But Singapore is one of those low-speed tracks where Red Bull believes they can do well and a fuel upgrade would help them take it a step further.
Talking to Motorsports,” ExxonMobil Global Motorsport Technology Manager David Tsurusaki said, “We are aiming to introduce a new fuel in Singapore. We’ve had that planned since right up until shutdown.”
If the new fuel is introduced, Red Bull does not expect an engine change in Singapore and both the drivers are taking new engines for Italian Grand Prix. Since they are beyond their allocated limits, both the drivers will face grid penalties for taking the new parts.
ExxonMobil ended their long partnership with McLaren and joined Red Bull in 2017 and also introduced a new fuel before the season began.
Did the new fuel make a difference at all, and if so by how much we asked. Red Bull’s chief engineer Paul Monaghan explained, “At an engine sensitive circuit, a tenth, at an estimate.
“If you’re at Monaco, it’s slightly less, if you’re at Spa, it’s a bit more. They moved us up at least a grid slot at most circuits.
“We have an improvement with the oil during the year, that was another five or six hundredths depending on where you are.”
ExxonMobil originally wanted to introduce the fuel upgrade at the British Grand Prix but was told to hold off and continue working for the Singapore GP.
This will be the last fuel upgrade for Red Bull as their fuel partner starts developments for the next season.
“Our direction now is waiting for the components of the next engine, so we can do single cylinder testing,” said Tsurusaki.
“For this season, we’re out of time to validate and approve so our focus is waiting for the new single cylinder engine and the parts to be built.
“We have four fuels ready that we think are next step improvements. We have some technology we want to test, hopefully by the end of the year, so yes, there will definitely be fuel upgrades for 2018.”
